Former defender of Kyiv “Dynamo” and the Ukraine national team Alexander Romanchuk (who ended his career in 2014), who lives with his family in Batumi, shared his impressions of the UEFA Nations League match Georgia — Ukraine (1:1), which he attended.
— On the day of the Georgia — Ukraine match, there was heavy rain in Batumi, which, along with terrible wind, created conditions for even postponing the match to another day…
— It had been raining heavily since the morning. In general, such weather is typical for Batumi, and it happens even in summer. However, such bad weather does not last longer than a day. For example, on the day our national team arrived in Batumi, it was warm. On Sunday — again sunny, and the thermometer rose to +18 degrees.
The players from both teams were a bit unlucky with the weather. As for the pitch at the stadium, it was recently relaid, and nobody had played here for almost a month. However, it was visible on the sidelines that the water was draining poorly; perhaps the drainage is not the best.
— Were there many Ukrainian football fans at the stadium that evening?
— Yes, many. Official data stated there were 19,120 spectators in the 20,000-seat arena. The Ukrainian sector was full. I sat closer to the central tribune, and there were also many compatriots there. Our flags were plentiful in the stands. Of course, Georgian fans had both numbers and skills. The noise in the stands was such that the players often did not hear their teammates' calls.
— How many fans typically come to watch local "Dynamo" matches in Batumi?
— About 5,000 spectators for the Georgian championship. In the summer, around 10,000 fans attended the UEFA Champions League qualifying matches. It's clear that the match between Georgia and Ukraine is a huge event for the city. This match was talked about long before it began. Although there is never much football advertising in the city. When Ukrainian coach Andriy Demchenko was working here, I asked him: "Why is there no outdoor advertising in the city?". He answered: "No one wants to bother with it. Football fans already know everything, but tourists, who are many in the city, could add to the atmosphere at the stadium." So far, in the last two years, there was a hype at this stadium during two matches: Georgia — Ukraine and the final of the European Under-21 Championship last year between Spain — England.
— What are your overall impressions of the performance of the Ukraine national team in this match?
— In the first half, our players played very well. We scored an early goal, and this weighed on the boys. Everyone understood that only a victory was acceptable to us. Mykola Mudryk could have scored at the end of the first half, but when he found himself one-on-one with Mamardashvili, he failed to outplay the opponent's keeper.
In the second half, the hosts had more initiative. They increased pressure near Trubin's goal. Kvaratskhelia created a great moment for himself when he hit the crossbar from a distance. And although our players struggled in the attack, how can we forget the moment in the 92nd minute when Hutsulyak and Nazarenko shot from close range, but Mamardashvili saved Georgia. If we look at the main statistical data, then Vili Sanjol's team looked better than ours.
Overall, I believe that a draw is a fair result of this match. And I would also highlight the factor of travel for our players from "Shakhtar" and "Dynamo". They have traveled so much by train and bus that they spend 20-24 hours getting to their games. This tires them both physically and psychologically.
— Who impressed you the most in our team?
— Everyone praises Mudryk, and there's a reason for it. But I really liked the performance of 22-year-old Zabarnyi. By playing in the Premier League, he gained experience in facing the best football players in the world. In "Bournemouth", Ilya plays in every match, which allows him to improve his understanding of the game. Zabarnyi played very calmly.
— What did you think of Artem Dovbik's performance? Was the forward helpful on the football field?
— Artem did a lot of dirty work. I know that he is troubled by a minor injury, but he lacks the time to take a break and recover. Last season, while playing in "Girona", he had about five excellent passes from teammates per half. In "Roma", and the Ukraine national team, Dovbik does not have such passes. Here lies the answer to your question.
— Why does our team occupy the last place in its group in the League of Nations, facing the Czech Republic, Albania, and Georgia?
— Everyone says that the Ukrainian national team stands out by name when compared to our opponents in the League of Nations. But this was the case in summer as well, during the European Championship. Then we saw the match between Ukraine and Romania and noted the score that was recorded there. Everyone knows how to play football. Of course, converting goal-scoring chances is important, and luck is needed too. In that Georgian national team, only two players out of 25 called up play in their own league. The effort of our guys cannot be criticized, but they need to engage from the first match; they cannot afford to lose points.
— Whose contribution to the game is more significant — Shaparenko's or Kvaratskhelia's?
— Of course, Kvaratskhelia's. The entire Georgian national team plays for him. In Serie A, he outplays the best defenders in Europe, and he tried to show that here as well. Shaparenko has different tasks, and he also tried.
— What do you think of the actions of our other leader — Georgiy Sudakov?
— Very technical, has good speed. His shot is decent. I do not know what determines his price. Some say he is worth 50-70 million euros. His abilities and talent are obvious to the naked eye.
For example, Kvaratskhelia has been playing matches in "Napoli" and for the national team at an outstanding level for the last two years. Sudakov needs to perform similarly. Everyone says that the next transfer from UPL to Europe will be Sudakov's transfer. I also think so; we'll see how the situation develops further.
— You have been living in Batumi for quite a while now. What have you seen beyond the stadium?
— Batumi treats Ukrainians very well. Many of our citizens live here, territories that the aggressor occupied. When the full-scale invasion began, our citizens gathered every day in European Square in Batumi to hold a rally. They all carried our flags — the local residents have no questions about them; everyone supports our guys.
A large football evening was held at the restaurant "Ukrainochka". On Saturday, they sold flags of Ukraine and Georgia with autographs from players of both national teams. Among other lots were 8 tickets to the match with Sergey Rebrov's autograph. Just for these rarities, we managed to raise an amount equivalent to 2,000 dollars. This money will go to help the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The match Georgia — Ukraine was announced at this restaurant as a brotherly-friendly match. I’ll emphasize: a match was also held in Batumi between journalists from Ukraine and Georgia. And Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's uncle came out on the field wearing a captain's armband in the colors of the Ukrainian flag. That’s how it goes.